Hunters, ice fishermen and others engaged in outdoor activities need lightweight chairs that can be carried substantial distances and that can be used on uneven and slopping surfaces. The chair is an improvement over the three legged folding chair shown in my U.S. Pat. No. 5,332,283.
Chairs with three legs can sit on uneven surfaces without rocking while rigid chairs with four or more legs will rock unless the surface upon which they are supported is flat. However, a chair with three legs is generally less stable than a chair with four legs that is about the same size.
The stability of a chair can generally be improved by moving the support seat for a person closer to the ground or by increasing the space between the contact surfaces on the bottom of the three legs. Lowering the support seat makes the chair less comfortable when sitting for long periods of time as well as increasing the time and effort required to stand and move into action when a fish takes a hook or an animal being hunted appears.
Spreading the contact surfaces on the bottom of three legs improves stability. However, this change increases chair weight and size making it more difficult to transport the chair in a folded condition. Since a hunter or fisherman has equipment to carry in addition to a chair, the chair should be as light as possible without unduly sacrificing strength or durability. The size of the chair in the folded condition must be sufficiently small to minimize catching on trees, vines, bushes, and other obstructions. Ideally a folding chair, when being transported in a folded condition on a person's back would not extend up above the person's head, out past the person's shoulders or down to a position in which contact with a person's legs would occur. Obviously a chair which exceeds such dimensions slightly would not normally be a problem. However, the further a folded chair being transported on a person's back extends out past his sides, up above his head, or down toward his legs, the more likely the chair is to catch on obstructions while being carried.
Metal structures may be weakened by holes that are drilled through them. Reducing the number of holes and the size of holes that pass through the frame members of a lightweight folding chair, reduces the possibility of frame failures and permits chair weight to be minimized.